Tub supporting and leveling device



Aug. 18, 1936. v. E. SCHMIEDEKNECHT TUB SUPPORTING AND LEVELING DEVICE Filed Feb. 12,

1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WTE I lilik Aug. 18, 1936. A v. E. scHMlEDEKNEcl-IT 2,051,398

TUB SUPPORTING AND LEVELING DEVICE Filed Feb. 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ug. 1K8, 1.936

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Victor E. Schmiedeknecht, Louisville, Ky., as-

signor to Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 12, 1936,4 serial No. 63,560

s claims. (c1. 4-173) My present invention relates to a supporting and leveling device for bathtubs and the like and more particularly to a device which enables bathtubs to be supported and leveled during installa- 5 tion and adjustments made from above the tub rim.

I am aware that it has hitherto been proposed to provide adjustable brackets for the same general purpose herein specified. Prior proposals 1'0 have taken a number of forms, some of which are more or less satisfactory and some of which are relatively unsatisfactory. In some instances the proposed arrangement has been flimsy and too dicult of access, thereby requiring not only highly skilled labor, but also consuming too much time and too `many adjustments before the nal setting is secured. In practically all instances adjustments must be made below the tub rim level and this not only made adjustment. difcult but frequently resulted in inaccurate adjustment.

While this particular trouble has been overcome in one instance of which I am aware, this particular instance does not provide a practical arrangement. In the rst place, it depends upon a movable lever fulcrumed at its center, and in the second place, it tends to place destructive strains on the tub rim. Then again, the shortness of the lever arm makes adjustment difficult and there is atendency toward distortion and jamming. A

3o study of the situation has therefore convinced me that while the problem has been, in a measure, solved, it has not been correctly and permanently solved.

It is accordingly one of the objects of my in vention'to produce a tub leveling and supporting device which not only overcomes the defectsanddisadvantages of prior known devices, but which has new and useful featuresv peculiar to its own construction.

40 Another Vobject of my invention resides in the provision of a casting which receives a tub supporting element in such manner that necessary or desired adjustments can be simply, quickly, and conveniently made from above the tub rim level.

Another object of my invention resides in the provision of a simple casting having a tubular portion provided with a longitudinal slot and a bolt movable within said tubular portion and having an angular portion extending through the slot for tub supporting and leveling purposes, together with means for making and maintaining adjustments.

Otherand further objects and advantages will be clearly apparent from the following description or will be understood by those skilled in this art.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a tub supported by a number of devices in accordance with the present invention; `5

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is anf enlarged elevational view of the device of my present invention with portions broken away for clarity;

Fig'. 4 is an edge elevational view looking from 10 left to right of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line V-V of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the invention as used.- 1liL Similar numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.`

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 indicates a suitable tub or like plumbing fixture which may beY made of any suitable material or combi- 201 nation of materials, such as now customarily employed. The'rim of this tub is indicated bythe numeral Il, andthe configuration of the rim is clearly apparent fromv Fig.. 6. In conventional manner the tubA is provided on its underV surface 2"`5 with the supporting projections l2 and theA tub is, of course, provided with the usual drain outlet designated by the numeral I3.

Numerals |54 represent Y the wooden studding forming a part of the usual wall construction of 3'0 a bathroom and it isrto these studsV that my pres ent device is secured".- However, I wish to point out that while the studding is preferably so used, as shown, and while the supporting device is pref- 1 erably adapted to be securedl thereto, I am not 3'5v limited in this respect because I- have found that the supporting devices can also be set into the hollow tileA which isfrequently used for wall construction,V orV the devices can be set into concrete where such is used? for the' wall construction 40' Therefore, the term studding as hereinafter used is to be understood asl including hollow tile or concrete wall construction as well as the wooden studs illustrated.

AsV will be apparent from' Figs. 1 and Zespecially, 45 I utilize a plurality of supporting devices which are adapted to be secured to the studding of the wall construction. Six such supporting devices, designated as a whole' by the numeral I-5', are illustrated in Figs'. 1 and 2, butvthe' precise number 50 thereof is variable according toY size and' space factors and in accordance with the requirements of any particular installation. In eachA case, the supporting devices are so located and distributed as best to effect the ypurpose and intent of the 55 invention and so asv to give full and accurate con- Y trol Qverthe precise positioning of'the tub or other plumbing kiixture. The details of the pres- Yent invention will be clearly apparent from Figs.

3 to 6, inc'lusive,'which will now be described in detail. Y ,Y

' Each of theV supporting.devices'consists of a suitable casting which has the general configura.-

' .Y tion shown. This casting, for'example, comprises Ya ilat plate-like 'portion l5 terminating top and bottom in a horizontally 'extending flange I1.V A suitable number of apertured bosses or the like I8 Yare provided for the receptiongof Wood screws or other securing'V devices and it is evident that the casting is adapted to be secured to the studding I4 in this manner. VThe forward' portion of the casting, that is, theV portioncontiguous to the tub IIl, consists of a tubularportion I9.. Extending from the bottom of this tubular portion up toV a desired height thereof, but terminating short of thetop, is a slotA 20 extending longitudinally of vthe tubular portion I9.

fiat on the tub side so that it lies flush with the studding and enables close juxtapositionY of tub rim,"studding, and supportg.

In the tubular portion I9 and movable longitudinally thereof isa supporting member such as the-bolt 2l. `This bolt 2I is threaded at its upper "end and is provided with a straight portion -22 and an angular portion 23.v This angular portion extends through the slot 20 to receive Vand support the tub rim asclearly shown in Fig. 6. The angle of the angular portion is so correlated with the curvature ofthe under sideY of the tub rim that the two are substantially complementary and Y Ythere is thus provided a strong support which does Vnot induce any unnecessary or undesirable strains into the tub rim. The upper endof the bolt 2i is provided with an adjusting-nut 24 and alock nut 25 which is superposed on the adjusting nut. It is clearly apparent that both ofthese nuts are above the level oi thetub rim and therefore l l' adjustments can be .made above theltubrrim in Y simple and. convenientY manner.V VTo make a change in the'height of the tub rim adjacent any Vof the supporting devices, I merelygneed to loosen i locknut 25 and then move adjustingnut 24 either to the left Vor to theV right the desired number of turns or partial turns. This Vturning of nut 24 results either in raising or loweringthe Vangular portion 23V of4 the boltl 2|, and when the desired @position is reached, the lockrnut is tightened to stalled before the door and wall tile are laid.Y It

therefore becomes essential to prevent damage occurring 'after laying the oor and wall tile. Where improper support is furnished the tub breaks away from the wall leaving a gap between tub and wall into which water and dirt may enter and thus increasing damage. This Yordinarily occurs from settling of the tub due to shrinkage of the studding,.etc., and further may result in the tub becoming out of level. Y

My present invention prevents such and Vmoreover'e'nables shrinkage, etc., to be compensated.

By installing a number of devices in accordance with the Vpresent invention perfect positioning of the tub is possible during installation very simply The tubular: portion isV and reconomically with minimum labor and all adjustments can be conveniently made from above the tub rim level.

What I claimV as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tub support comprising a casting adaptedY to be securedto Ya bathroom Wall construction,

said casting being provided with a tubular portion Y having a longitudinal slot, a supporting memberV in said tubular portion having an Vangular pr-V tion extending through said slot Vfor supporting a tub rim, means for raising and lowering the said angular portion and'means forfmaintaining theV desired positioning of the supporting member.

2. A tub supporting and leveling device comprising a casting, a tubular portion unitary with said casting and having VaV longitudinal slot, a,

supporting member in said tubular portion having an angular portion extending through said slot for receiving the rim of a tub, the upper end of the supporting member being threaded andex- Y tending beyond the tubular portionof the casting and adjusting and lock nuts on the threaded end of said supporting member.

3. A tub supporting and leveling device com-V prising a casting, a tubular portion on said casting, a bolt in said tubular portion :capable of positioning movement therein, said bolt having a projecting tub rim supportingrportion and means for securing the bolt in desired position in the tubular portion. Y

4. A tub supporting and leveling device .corn- V 1 prising a casting adapted to be secured to a wall construction, a slotted bolt-receiving portion on '5" 33 said casting, a bolt therein having an angular portion projecting through theslot for supporting a tub rim, and adjusting andlock nuts on said bolt. Y.

5. Inatub supportingY and leveling device, a casting adapted to be secured to a stud or the Vlike, the casting having a unitarytubular portion Y Y Vprovided with a longitudinal slot.

Y6. In a tub supporting and leveling device, a

casting adapted to be `secured to astud or the like, the casting having a unitary tubular portion provided with a longitudinalrslot extending from the bottom of the tubular portion to a point short of the top thereof, Ythereby providing ya slot dej and locked from above the level of the tub rimv and by the fact that the casting can Ybe secured to any convenient portion ofa bathroom wall construction, such as the studding thereof. 'Y

8. A tub supporting and leveling device comprising a plate-like metal member adapted to be secured to the studding of a bathroom wall construction, a slotted tubular portion constituting a part of Vsaid plate-like metal member, a supportingV member movable up and'down in said tubular portion and having a tub receiving projectionV extending through vsaid slot, Ymeans for effecting up and down movement ofthe supporting member and means for maintaining the desired positioning thereof. Y

vrc'roR E. SCHMIEDEKNECHT, 

